Claire in Korean 클레어
Korean media, baristas and the immigration office write Claire as 클레어: three syllables, said keul-le-eo. Here's how it's built, how to say it, and what people will call you.
Claire letter by letter
Each Hangul block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant underneath.
The double ㄹ in 클레 is a clear English l, as in "hello", not an r.
- 클 carries the filler vowel ㅡ (eu). Keep it short and light, almost just the consonant.
- ㅓ (eo) in 어 is the open "uh" of "sun", not an "o".
- ㅋ at the start is aspirated: a clear puff of air, like the k in "kite".
- ㅇ at the top of 어 is silent, so 어 is just the vowel: eo.
How Koreans would call you
Korean given names are almost always two syllables (after a one-syllable family name), so at 3 syllables 클레어 reads as a foreign name at a glance. With foreign names some Koreans skip 야 and just say 클레어 or 클레어 씨.
Why it's spelled 클레어
Spelled letter-by-letter you'd get 크레어, but Korean media write 클레어, because the name is written the way it sounds, not the way it's spelled.
- The final e is silent. It only makes the vowel before it long.
- An l between vowels is written twice (final ㄹ + ㄹ), so Koreans say a clear l instead of a tapped r.
- The unstressed "uh" vowel is written ㅓ (eo), whatever letter English uses for it.
- Korean adds the vowel ㅡ to consonants that have no vowel of their own (클), which is why Claire has 3 syllables in Korean.
Type Claire on a Korean keyboard
On the standard two-set (두벌식) layout, 클레어 is the jamo ㅋㅡㄹ ㄹㅔ ㅇㅓ, typed with the keys zmf fp dj. Want to get fast at it? Try the Hangul Typing Test.
Similar names in Korean
Write any name in Hangul
Questions people ask
How do you write Claire in Korean?
Claire is written 클레어 in Hangul (Revised Romanization: keulleeo). It is the standard spelling Korean media use for the name. In Hangul it has three syllables: 클 + 레 + 어.
How do you pronounce Claire in Korean?
Say it keul-le-eo, with even weight on every syllable. The double ㄹ in 클레 is a clear English l, as in "hello", not an r.
Spellings follow the National Institute of Korean Language loanword rules and common Korean media usage. Last checked: October 2026.